


Break Up With Your Boyfriend

by alexeideservedbetter



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/M, Meet-Cute, Mild Language, eventual non-descriptive smut, meet ugly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:41:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21989686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexeideservedbetter/pseuds/alexeideservedbetter
Summary: Mike is at a bar when he sees someone making El uncomfortable. He swoops in as her partner..only to find out the person she’s with IS her actual partner. El’s boyfriend breaks up with her because he thinks she is cheating on him with Mike—whoops?
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper & Mike Wheeler, Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler
Comments: 26
Kudos: 131





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Recently I decided to pick writing back up with Mileven as my muse. Essentially this is a “meet-cute” or “meet-ugly” idea I found on Tumblr and thought it would be so cute for Mileven to meet this way. Probably just a few chapter drabble, filled with mostly fluff and some (very mild and non-descriptive) smut. This is an AU so Eleven, who will be called El in this fic, does not have powers. Both characters are in their mid twenties and this takes place in the nineties. 
> 
> Please comment or kudos if you enjoyed and happy holidays to you all! :)

Mike was at his favorite bar that he went to with his friend Dustin practically every Friday night. They were there for a total of ten minutes before Dustin ditched him to go hit on a girl. Mike was used to this sort of thing. Dustin always had a bit more luck with the ladies than he did. Don’t get him wrong, Mike had been in one or two serious relationships, but he wasn’t exactly known as a ladies man. He was the definition of a nerd and worked alongside Dustin in the IT department of a computer company.

Mike waltzed up to the bartender and ordered a regular beer. Being tall and lanky, he didn’t exactly need to watch his figure. He took a few sips and then walked over to the edge of the dance floor, checking to see if he could spot Dustin. While he stood in place, he noticed a beautiful woman with light brown wavy hair. There was some guy next to her, maybe a little bit shorter than Mike—-handsome though, and slightly muscular. 

Mike caught himself staring at the girl, simply unable to take his eyes off of her. A hint of panic and a great deal of irritation appeared on her face. The guy following her just wasn’t getting the hint, Mike thought. 

After a long internal debate, Mike made the decision to step-in. As attractive as she was, he would do this for any girl being followed by a creep. He took a deep breath and approached the situation as suavely as possible. Mike gently placed his arm around the woman’s shoulder. “Hey babe. Is this guy bothering you?” He spoke in the most confident voice he could muster. 

El felt a soft touch on the shoulder and looked up at the tall figure beside her. She couldn’t help but immediately think how handsome this man was. Normally she would wince at a stranger’s touch, but there was something different about this guy that made her feel comfortable. She stared for just a moment, before the angry red face of her current boyfriend recaptured her attention. 

“Did he just call you babe? Why are you looking at him like that?!” The boyfriend practically shouted at her. 

El pulled away from Mike’s touch as a result of the aggressive shouting from her boyfriend. Before El could get a word in edgewise, Mike stepped in. “Don’t talk to her like that!” He growled as he instinctively stood in front of El protectively. 

“What the hell?! Who are you?!” The boyfriend shouted at Mike this time, rather venomously. 

“Her boyfriend. So kindly leave her alone now.” He answered firmly yet politely. 

“What?! He’s not my boyfriend. I’ve never seen this guy before in my life, I swear.” El made an attempt to defend herself against Mike’s lie, but it was already too late. The damage was done. 

“The way you were looking at him tells me everything I need to know. I can’t believe you would cheat on me like this. We’re done!” The boyfriend exclaimed frustrated. He stormed off angrily and left the bar. 

“Oh shit!” Mike said, realizing that the guy was probably her actual boyfriend after all. 

“What did you do that for?!” El looked back at Mike accusingly. 

“I’m so sorry! It seemed like he was bothering you. I thought he was just some creep from the bar.” Mike tried to justify his actions to the fuming woman. 

“That was my boyfriend! We were in an argument but I wasn’t planning on breaking up with him.” El frowned deeply. 

“Let me talk to him. I’ll explain everything.” Mike offered, feeling terrible about the whole situation he had accidentally put her in.

“No, you’ve done enough...He’ll never believe you. Brad has been cheated on before, he’s very sensitive about this kind of thing.” El sighed and tried to hold back tears. 

“I really am sorry. I thought I was helping you out.” He said solemnly. 

“Whatever...I have to go try to make this right.” El ran towards the exit, hopeful she could catch up with her now ex boyfriend before he got too far. 

“Way to go, Wheeler.” Dustin snorted from behind, apparently his friend had seen the whole thing. 

“I thought he was bothering her!” Mike defended himself. 

“Uh huh....sure. She is very pretty, I’ll give you that.” Dustin said. 

“She is.” Mike sighed and chugged the rest of his beer, needing something to drown out his embarrassment. 


	2. Face the Music

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for everyone who gave me Kudos (especially MamaFratelli who writes one of my favorite Mileven fanfics!!) and thank you DiamondDog007 for the review. Would love to see some more comments and hear any thoughts you guys have about this chapter! I don’t bite (unlike the Demogorgon) haha.

El took three weeks off from going out, especially after her break up with Brad. She called multiple times and even tried visiting him at his apartment, but to no avail. He refused to hear what she had to say. 

While they weren’t in love yet, El did care about Brad a good deal and the thought of losing him permanently made her sad. Finally Max, El’s best friend, decided that she’d had enough of the moping around. To be fair, Max never liked Brad much to begin with. He was possessive of El and had a bad temper. 

El reluctantly finished fixing her hair and makeup, at Max’s request on Friday night. She put on a black midi dress and red strappy heels. The two girls caught a taxi to the bar. 

“Just remember we’re here to have fun and get your mind off of you know who.” Max stated supportively as they entered the establishment. 

“I know.” El sighed and followed her in. The girls made a beeline for the bar and had a seat next to each other on the barstools. 

“I’ll have a vodka cranberry and she’ll have a double shot of something strong.” Max requested with a smirk. 

“Max...” El tried to speak up but there was no use trying to convince her red-headed friend. The two girls received their drinks from the bartender and while Max sipped hers, El quickly chugged the double shot. She hoped the usual side effects of alcohol would not delay. 

Mike sat on the opposite side of the bar and was enjoying his beer until he noticed a familiar face. He nudged Dustin, who was seated next to him. 

“Oh god, it’s her.” The taller man said as he attempted to cover his face with one of his hands so she wouldn’t see him. 

“Ooh and no boyfriend this time. Looks like your evil plan worked.” Dustin teased. Mike merely rolled his eyes as he finished the remainder of his first beer. 

El and Max left their barstools, completely unaware of the two men on the other side of the bar, and headed towards the dance floor. The two girls danced well, swaying and bopping along to the music. 

After about fifteen minutes of dancing El felt the alcohol kick in and went to grab a water to offset any potential negative side effects tomorrow morning. “Be right back!” She told Max. 

She walked up to the bar and ordered a water when she recognized the tall stranger from the other night. The bartender handed her a glass of ice water, which she drank quickly. 

Maybe it was the two drinks she had or perhaps it was the comfortability she felt with his arm around her but either way, something convinced her to make eye contact with the man. 

“She’s looking at you!” Dustin exclaimed. 

“Oh crap.” Mike met her gaze for a moment before he glanced back at Dustin. 

El wiggled her pointer finger, almost seductively, and signaled for Mike to come see her. 

“What do you think she wants?” Mike asked his friend, somewhat concerned. 

“Honestly? She either wants to dance with you or berate you. There is no in-between.” Dustin supposed. 

He gulped at his friends suggestion that she was going to yell at him. Mike wasn’t the best at confrontation. Alas, he slowly stood up and walked over to her. It was time to face the music. 

“Uhm hi.” He said, smiling awkwardly.  
“Hi.” She bit her lower lip and checked him out.  
“I feel so bad about the other night. I really wish I could make it up to you.” Mike apologized profusely.  
“You want to make it up to me? Dance with me.” She gently grabbed his hand as she awaited his response.  
“I don’t really dance..I mean, I’m not very good.” He stared at their hands and felt an undeniable spark when she touched him. He took a minute to consider whether his poor dancing skills might scare her off but then decided to just go for it.  
“I’ll try.” Mike smiled slightly. 

That was all the reassurance El needed to drag him out onto the dance floor. They danced pretty close together but did not press up against each other or anything. 

“I’m El. What’s your name?” She asked curiously.  
“Mike.” He replied as he continued to dance near her, to the best of his ability.  
“You’re so tall.” She marveled at him.  
“I know. I get that a lot.” He chuckled quietly. Mike had no idea why this beautiful girl would waste any time on him, he figured she was just lonely and looking for some company.

Max approached them from behind, curious as to who El was dancing with. “Who’s this?” Max questioned. 

“Oh this is Mike. He’s the guy who thought Brad’s advances were unwelcome so he pretended to be my boyfriend.” El bit back a laugh, now able to recognize some humor in their prior predicament.  
“I guess I owe him a thank you, then. Do you have any interest in being her real boyfriend?” Max suggested deviously.  
“Max!” El glared at her friend and shot Mike an apologetic smile. 

Dustin showed up on the dance floor next because he feared the woman’s friend might block Mike’s advances. 

“Hi there pretty lady.” Dustin tried (and failed) to be smooth with the red-haired friend.  
“Oh god...” Max rolled her eyes in annoyance.  
“This is my friend Dustin.” Mike introduced them and hoped it might cause the red-head to change her mind.  
“Hi Dustin, this is Max.” El gently nudged Max in Dustin’s direction and shot her puppy-dog eyes.  
“Sell-out.” Max murmured under her breath as she glared at her friend.  
“I need another drink and you’re buying.” The red-head ordered gruffly. 

“Yes ma’am.” Dustin replied with a salute. Max chuckled quietly and took the curly haired guy’s hand. They headed to the bar together. 

“My friend Max thinks you saved me from a potentially bad relationship.” El admitted as the two continued to dance.  
“What do you think?” Mike wondered if she felt the same way.  
“I’m not sure yet, but I have to say it is nice to have the freedom to talk to who I want...dance with who I want.” El purposely winked at him. 

“Yeah?” He blushed in response to her wink. “I guess I just don’t understand. You could dance with any guy at this bar and yet you chose me. Why?” He questioned. 

“Even though you totally ruined my relationship with Brad, you thought you were helping someone. And the way you stood up for me...well... it was kind of hot.” El’s eyes smoldered as she looked at him. 

“Yeah? Cool.” Mike replied with a dorky smile at first but then noticed what appeared to be longing in her eyes. His heart rate sped up and he almost forgot to breathe, crushed by the weight of her intense gaze. 

“You’re hot.” El stopped dancing and boldly took a step closer to him. The previous gap of space between them was now nonexistent.  
“You are too.” He answered nervously.  
“I can think of something else you can do to make it up to me.” She whispered in his ear seductively. 

“What’s that?” Mike bit his lip. Having her so close to him was intoxicating. It made him struggle to keep his hands to himself.  
“You could kiss me...” El placed her hand on his arm and looked up at him with hopeful eyes. 

Mike gulped, he couldn’t deny that he was attracted to her. Still, it had been awhile since he kissed someone and he rarely kissed girls he wasn’t in a serious relationship with. He stepped outside his comfort zone for a change and leaned in to kiss El. 

Mike’s kiss was sweet and tender, like something out of a fairytale, El thought. Mike gently wrapped his arms around her waist while they kissed and El found herself melt into his touch. She kissed back, trying to match his pace. Although her original intentions were more lusty than romantic, she found herself enjoying every second of the kiss. 

After around a minute or so El pressed against Mike, and wrapped her arms around him tightly. She also quickened the pace of the kiss, hoping to convey urgency. Mike was sincerely shocked but reciprocated wholeheartedly. He pressed himself against her and groaned into the kiss quietly. El ran her fingers through his hair, and added tongue to the kiss. Mike kissed her back with slight tongue for about two minutes before he pulled away to catch his breath. El was also out of breath, her face slightly flushed. 

“Wow.” He smiled widely.  
El just smirked in response but kept her arms around his waist. 

Max and Dustin returned but didn’t want to interrupt the love birds so they spoke in a hushed tone to one another. 

“I haven’t seen him look at anyone like that since his ex Courtney. They almost got married.” Dustin whispered to Max.  
“Really? Too bad El isn’t looking for anything serious. I think she’s more interested in taking him home tonight.” Max explained with a snort.  
“Mike doesn’t really do one-night stands. I’d be surprised if he says yes.” Dustin replied. 

As if on cue, El shot Mike “the look.”  
“Would you like to take this somewhere else?” El playfully swept a piece of hair out of his face and batted her lashes at him. 

“Uhm...I can’t. I have something tomorrow morning.” He lied. As much as he wanted to say yes, he’d never been with someone he wasn’t serious with. One-night stands were uncharted territory for him and a part of him liked El. He felt bad about the breakup and had doubts about hooking up with a recently single girl. 

“Oh okay.” El stopped touching him. She glanced down ar her feet and tried to hide a frown. Just like that the spell was broken. 

“It’s not you..it’s me. I just..have never had a one night stand before.” He admitted abashedly in a whisper.  
“Ah I see. And no interest in giving it a shot?” El looked at him with hopeful eyes again. 

The pleading look in her hazel eyes won him over. After all, this was probably his only chance at getting a girl as pretty as El to notice him. 

“You’re very persuasive, you know that?” He chuckled.  
El smiled triumphantly back at him. She grabbed him by the hand and turned around to approach their friends. 

“Mike and I are leaving.” El explained to Max and Dustin.  
“Why is that?” Max teased.  
“Don’t taunt me, Maxine.” El shot her bestie a glare before walking to the exit with Mike in tow. 

“Maxine, huh?” Dustin asked, playfully.  
“Can it, curly.” Max crossed her arms defensively.


	3. Take Me Home Tonight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I’m sorry it took me a little over a month to update. I will try to be better. Thank you to everyone for the comments and kudos. Please let me know what you think :) 
> 
> (PSA: There is very light smut this chapter for our aged up characters, it will be only like two paragraphs long and incredibly non-descriptive. I have used section breaks so whoever feels uncomfortable with that may skip that part)

Mike and El held hands on the taxi ride over to her place but for some reason El didn’t want to rush into things with this guy on the trip home. She was also afraid of scaring him away if she went too fast. The cab ride was mostly silent but it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence like El had felt around other hookups before. 

They arrived at her building and exited the taxi. El took out her key and unlocked the front door of her apartment building. She led him up two flight of stairs after that, and used a separate key to enter her particular apartment unit. 

“Come on in...” El encouraged with a warm smile. She took off her heels, which had been killing her after dancing for around an hour or so—and left them by the front door. 

“Thanks for having me over.” Mike shut the apartment door behind him and took off his shoes by the front door as well.   
“Anytime.” She winked flirtily. “Do you want a tour?”   
“Is a tour just an excuse to get me in the bedroom?” Mike teased.   
“For someone who’s never done this before you certainly do catch on quick.” El smirked at him. 

“This is the living room...that’s the kitchen...and this is the bedroom.” She kind of glazed over the other rooms as she started to walk into the bedroom. Mike followed her. 

“Your plan worked... I’m here.” He said with a playful smile as he plopped himself down in a seated position on the edge of the bed. 

“The way you said “your plan” seems to imply some sort of deviousness on my part. We both know I’m only full of pure intentions.” El sat next to him on the bed and placed a hand on his knee, teasingly. 

“You are really something, you know that? So confident and beautiful.” Mike complimented her genuinely as he ran a hand through her curls. 

“Thank you..” El blushed at the compliment but tried to hold his gaze. “We don’t have to do anything tonight, you know...I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” She explained sincerely. 

“I know that. But trust me, I definitely want to...” Mike leaned in and kissed her neck gently. 

“Glad to hear that.” El groaned softly and wrapped her arms around his waist. She pulled him even closer to her. 

Mike nibbled on her neck and moved one hand down to her thigh, rubbing her there over her dress, gently. “It’s pretty hot in here...maybe we should take this off.” He smirked as he whispered in her ear. 

“Good idea.” El pulled away from his touch just enough to take her dress off to reveal red lacy lingerie. 

Mike growled at the sight of her and placed his hands on her hips. “You were planning on getting laid tonight, weren’t you?” 

“Maybe...” El replied innocently. 

* * *

All of a sudden the remainder of Mike’s nerves dissipated and his simple desire for her took over. He had this urge to ravish her, make her writhe in pleasure and cry out his name over and over. So that is what he did. He had never truly just “fucked” a woman before, he had only “made love” to his serious girlfriends. For some strange reason, he didn’t attempt to switch up his methods to please El. He only hoped that she would be satisfied. 

The slow deep kisses and soft strokes made El feel like never before. The way Mike slowly built up the excitement had her aching for him. Although she wasn’t accustomed to this strange amount of tender affection during sex, she obviously was into it. It made her feel safe and adored for the first time in awhile, and her body must’ve liked it too because she found herself whimpering underneath him, crying out his name when she hit her peak two different times. 

El made him feel something he hadn’t felt in a long time, too. Desired. Mike never felt like his previous girlfriends truly desired him for his body, but simply that they viewed him as a source of comfort or familiarity. The way El touched him and looked at him with such need made him feel valuable, and wanted. He had never been confident in his body before but she made him feel like he was the sexiest man on earth. He panted and cursed as he made his second release of the night. It was probably the best sex he’d ever had. 

* * *

The two were a mess of intertwined limbs on the bed as they tried to regain normal breathing. After a minute or so she pulled the covers over them both because now that his body wasn’t on top of her she felt cold. 

“Am I supposed to go now? I literally have no idea how this works.” Mike explained with a chuckle. 

El felt like she should kick him out after they cuddled for a little bit—-that’s what she would usually do with her hookups, but something inside her told her that this was different. _He_ was different. 

“You can stay.” El suggested with a soft smile, trying to play it it cool.   
“Lucky me.” He said with the utmost sincerity as he leaned in to kiss her tenderly on the lips. He ran his hand through her hair gently. El sighed into the kiss and reciprocated eagerly. Mike eventually pulled his lips away but wrapped his arms around her. 

“This is probably very much against the hookup rules but I don’t care.” Mike admitted.   
“Me either.” El smiled and found herself reveling in his touch yet again.   
The two fell asleep, blissfully content in eachother’s arms. 

———-

The next morning El woke up and felt someone’s arms around her. At first she smiled when she realized it was Mike but then the look on her face quickly changed to panic. In her post-coital bliss she had allowed herself to break one of the most important hookup rules: never let them stay the night. 

El slowly snuck out from under his hold without disturbing him and threw on a t-shirt and some sweatpants. She glanced around for her flip phone, which she found on the end table. El picked up the phone and walked into the bathroom shutting the door quietly behind her. The girl dialed a phone number she had memorized by heart and hoped her best friend would answer. 

“How was it?" The red-head asked with a smirk that El couldn’t see but knew was there.   
“It was amazing...literally mind blowing. He was very attentive.” She smiled at the memory of last night’s rendezvous. “But there’s one problem...” El gulped, knowing her best friend might judge her.   
“What’s that?” Max inquired.   
“We cuddled and I let him stay the night.” El shut her eyes tightly.   
“You WHAT?!” The friend exclaimed, concerned. “Dustin said Mike doesn’t hook up much...if you aren’t careful you might have a clinger on your hands.”  
“I know! But I was his first one night stand, I didn’t want to be rude and set a bad precedent.” El pretended like that was the only reason she let him stay over.   
“What are you going to do?” Max wondered.   
“Let him down easy, I guess.” El said tentatively.   
“Good plan. Good luck!” Max signed off with a click. 

“El? Where’d you go?” He called out in a sleepy voice, eyes still closed. El bit her lip when she heard his voice, and exited the bathroom. She placed her phone back down on the end table. 

“Right here.” El smiled softly. She had to admit he looked good in her bed.   
“Come back. It’s still kinda early...” Mike opened his eyes and reached out to grab her hand. “Aw you’re already dressed.” He frowned.   
“I wish I could...I have some things to do today.” She said, fairly vaguely.   
“Oh? Right...of course.” Mike took the hint and hopped out of bed. He put on his boxers and got dressed but was clearly disappointed. 

“El..can I maybe have your number?” Mike asked hesitantly, not wanting to come off as clingy.   
“Yes. Give me your phone.” She replied, perhaps sounding a bit more eager than she meant to. He handed her his phone and El put her number in. 

“Here you go.” El smiled and handed him back his phone.   
“Thanks.” Mike answered.   
“Look as fun as this was, I’m probably just looking to keep things casual right now.” El explained as kindly as she could and hoped he wouldn’t be upset. 

“Yeah sure, I get it.” He replied with a half hearted smile but part of him was hurt. He didn’t know her that well yet but he liked the way she made him feel. Mike exited the bedroom and put on his shoes in the living room. He made his way to the front door. “See you around.” Mike gave her a small wave. 

“Bye Mike.” El said wistfully, wishing she could kiss him goodbye but not wanting to let herself get hurt by someone or attached again. It had been less than a month since the breakup. 

Mike left and shut the door behind him. While part of him deep down knew nothing would ever come of this, he had gotten his hopes up slightly. He started to walk home because he only lived a few blocks from her. Mike grabbed his phone from his pocket and decided to give Dustin a call to talk things over. 

“Hey how is the man of the hour?” Dustin teased.   
“Good I guess.” Mike sighed slightly.   
“Was the sex bad?” He questioned.  
“No, it was the best sex I’ve ever had.” Mike admitted.   
“Then what’s the problem?” Dustin wondered.   
“She gave me her number but she wants to keep things casual. And I’ve never done this type of thing before.” He explained.   
“Yeah that’s what her friend told me. Listen, you’re living every man’s dream, no strings attached.” Dustin offered.   
“Yeah I guess.” The raven haired man frowned.   
“If it bothers you then maybe don’t see her again?” His friend suggested.   
“The problem is I want to see her again. And like get to know her..” Mike tried not to sound like a softy but failed.   
“Oh man. You got it bad...are you sure it’s not just the hormones talking? They can fog up your brain and trick you into thinking there’s something more than just sex going on between you two.” Dustin attempted to reason.   
“Maybe that’s it.” Mike played along aloud but deep down he knew it was more than that. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike calls El to “hang out,” and more pretending that they don’t have feelings for each other ensues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! It’s been ages since I’ve updated. I know this story doesn’t have a ton of followers but I am grateful for those of you who have always stopped by to show your support. I wish you all health and peace of mind during this tumultuous time. Enjoy!

He waited a day, then three days, and finally a week. Was there a right amount of time to wait before contacting a girl? Mike never really paid attention to proper etiquette before but simply relied on his intuition and when he felt like reaching out. He was glad he didn’t listen to his intuition this time, because it told him to reach out the day after which would have come across as clingy. Friday afternoon came and he found himself picking up the phone to call El. 

El had just arrived home from work when she heard her phone ring. It was an unknown number.   
“Hello?” She answered curiously.   
“Uhm hi..this is Mike.” He said nervously.   
“Oh hey. How are you?” El attempted to maintain her composure but inside her heart fluttered quite a bit. 

“Pretty good thanks...so I was wondering if you wanted to do something tonight?”   
“Yeah sure. What did you have in mind?” El wondered.   
“A movie at my place, maybe?” He suggested.   
“Sounds cool to me.” El replied somewhat awkwardly.   
“Great! I live at 500 West Elm Street, Apt. B. Come over at around 9.” Mike   
confirmed the details.   
“Awesome. See you soon.” El smiled as she hung up. 

El spent the rest of her afternoon and early evening lounging, reading a book, and occasionally worrying about her hang out with Mike. She wasn’t sure if he fully grasped the whole “casual” thing but there was a part of her that didn’t want him to. And that scared her. 

At around 7, El took a shower and started to get ready. After blowdrying her curly waves, she dressed herself in blue jeans and a white blouse with some cute lacy underwear underneath just in case. El spritzed herself with perfume, applied deodorant, brushed her teeth and applied some makeup but stuck to the basics. She put on her flats, grabbed her purse and keys, and was out the door by 8:45. 

Mike spent the rest of his afternoon making sure his apartment looked nice. While he was usually decently neat, he was nervous to let El see his place. It took him longer than he liked to get ready. He spent about twenty minutes trying to decide between two shirts and eventually selected a maroon t shirt and dark blue jeans. He found himself overgrooming, in hopes of impressing her. Mike always kept up appearances to some extent but he hadn’t put this much effort in since his last girlfriend.

Eventually there was a knock on his apartment door at around 9:05. Right on time, Mike thought. He rushed to the door and opened it. 

“Hey.” Mike offered her a warm smile as he stepped aside so she could enter.   
“Hi.” El replied as she entered his apartment and tried not to melt at the warmth of his smile.   
“Good to see you.” He gave her shoulder a small squeeze.   
“You too.” El bit her lip and checked him out. Mike was oblivious. 

“Have a seat.” He suggested. El sat down on his couch.   
“Do you want something to drink?” Mike asked.   
“Do you have any wine? It’s been a long week.” El requested with a sheepish smile.  
“I’m not really much of a wine drinker. I have some light beers in the fridge, if you want?”   
“Great thanks.” She nodded.

Mike opened the fridge and grabbed two beers out of the fridge. He opened them both and gave one to El before he sat next to her on the couch. El thanked him and wordlessly took a sip of her beer. He took a sip of his as well. 

“You look nice tonight.” Mike smiled at her.   
“You do too.” El answered.  
“What do you want to watch?” He inquired.   
“Hmm..something funny would be ideal.” The girl suggested.   
“How about Robin Hood?” The lanky nerd replied.   
“Sure. That sounds great.”

Mike stood up and put Robin Hood in the VCR and then turned off the lights. After he returned to his spot next to El on the couch. He took a sip of his beer and then put it back on the coffee table. Mike hesitantly wrapped an arm around her. 

“This OK?” He asked a bit nervously.   
“Yes.” She quietly let out a contented sigh. El hated how comfortable she felt in his arms even though she didn’t know him that well. 

They watched the movie together for about 10 minutes before Mike tried to make a connection. He couldn’t help himself. He was a creature of habit. 

“What do you do for a living?” He asked curiously.   
“I’m a psychologist.” El explained.   
“So have you already psychoanalyzed me?” Mike teased.   
“Maybe...” She smirked. “What do you do?”  
“I work for a computer company in the IT department.” He answered.   
“Ooh a techie. I’ll be sure to call you if my computer at work gives me any trouble.” El joked.   
“Please do.” Mike chuckled. 

Something about his laugh was warm and enticing. It made her want to cuddle closer so she rested her head on his shoulder. They sat for another hour or so and watched the movie, occasionally commenting on parts they found funny. 

“So why did you invite me over?” El wondered.   
“Just thought it’d be cool to hang out.” Mike lied, trying to pretend like he didn’t have ulterior motives to get to know her better.

“So no ulterior motive or hidden sexual agendas? Maybe I didn’t meet your expectations last weekend...” She teased.   
“No hidden agenda, really. I’d be remiss though if I failed to mention that you definitely exceeded my expectations.” Mike smirked at her.   
“That’s nice of you to say but I’m not sure it was my best work. Should we try again?” El smirked back.

“Yes!” He replied a little too quickly. “I mean...yeah, that’d be cool.” Mike rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. 

“You’re so charming, did you know that?” El leaned in and started to kiss his neck. He groaned in response “Nah, I’m really not. You’re the one who always knows what to say.” He mumbled. 

“You should be proud of me for keeping my hands off you for so long. It was tough.” El pushed him down on the couch and climbed on top of him. 

“Glad to know my attempt at making conversation was appreciated.” He teased, but part of him worried that he really did bore her. 

“No, that’s not what I meant, silly.” El leaned in and pressed a passionate kiss to his lips. Mike reciprocated, unable to resist the girl’s charm. He wrapped his arms around her waist and added tongue to the kiss. 

“I’ve been thinking about you all week...about doing this again.” El murmured in his ear, as she took off his shirt. 

“Yeah?” Mike found himself smirk a little. “Me too.” He admitted and started to take off her shirt as well. 

“You have no idea how badly I want you.” El whispered. She leaned down and nibbled on his neck roughly. Mike groaned at the sensation and moved his hands to her ass, squeezing it gently. 

* * *

Before they knew it they were naked and completely succumbing to bliss over and over again. Loud moans and whimpers filled the room. The two found a multitude of ways to please each other and spent a solid hour just fooling around, taking turns pleasuring each other before the main event. When it came time to it, the two were aching for one another. Mike took things painfully slow which made El dig her nails into his back and beg for more. Eventually at her request he adjusted his pace. After a good deal of thrusting and changing positions so that El could be on top, the two came and moaned breathily.

* * *

El carefully got off of Mike after she took a minute or two to recover and put on her bra and panties. He frowned and wondered if she would try to leave soon. 

Mike stood up from the couch and put on his boxers. “Come to bed with me.” He pleaded with her and tried to grab her hand. 

“I shouldn’t.” El sighed but found herself contemplating it. 

“It’s late. Stay.” Mike suggested again, looking at her with hopeful eyes. 

“Okay.” El smiled softly and let him lead her into the bedroom. 

Mike pulled down the comforter and got under the covers and El did the same. Mike turned on his side and wrapped his arms around El, perhaps a bit more tightly than usual. 

“Are you holding me hostage?” She teased. 

“Maybe.” Mike smirked. 

“Well it’s working.” El snuggled into his chest and wrapped her arms around him. 

Mike smiled. He knew she might be skittish tomorrow morning but at least he had tonight. 

“Do you know how beautiful you are?” He whispered to her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. 

“Stop.” She blushed, El had never had any of her boyfriends treat her so kindly. It was certainly a change of pace.

“Want to hear something kind of bad?” Mike asked. 

“What?” El inquired. 

“I’m kind of glad that your other relationship didn’t work out...I feel terrible that I broke you guys up but really lucky that we met.” He admitted. 

“Don’t say such sweet things to me.” She pleaded. El had never been properly treated by a guy before besides her dad so it was no surprise that this all seemed like a bit much to her. 

“Okay. I’ll stop.” He was confused, most girls enjoyed compliments and kind words. Maybe he was coming on a bit strong. Being raised in a house with predominantly girls he learned a lot about how to be expressive and sometimes that backfired on him. 

“It’s fine.” She tried to shrug it off but the sincerity in his voice kind of scared her. “You’re not so good at this casual thing, are you?” El said jokingly, trying to lighten the mood. 

“Sorry. This is all new to me. I’ll try not to overstep again.” He removed his arms from around her and turned on his side, now facing the wall, not wanting to make her any more uncomfortable. 

“That’s okay.” She frowned slightly at the loss of his arms around her.   
“Goodnight, El.”  
“Night Mike.” 

About five minutes later when El thought Mike was asleep she turned on her side as well. She moved her pillow over closer to his side of the bed and gently draped an arm around his waist. Then she rested her head back on the pillow. 

“You are going to be the death of me.” She whispered before shutting her eyes. 

Mike’s eyes were shut but he heard her and couldn’t help but smile slightly. Maybe this meant she was starting to feel the same way he did. 


	5. The Dance that We Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike tries to cope with the casual terms of their agreement while El tries to convince Max (and herself) that she doesn’t hold any feelings for Mike.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Thanks for your comments and kudos. I appreciate your continued patience and support while I work on this story. Please comment or reach out to me via tumblr if you want to be friends! I love talking Stranger Things and hearing fan theories: cherryslurpeeonly.

He woke up at around 9 and was delighted to feel El’s arm still draped around his waist. Mike could feel the warmth coming off of her body. Carefully he tried to slide out from underneath her arm and stood up. He turned to look at her for a moment and couldn’t help but think how lovely she looked.   
  
Mike returned his gaze to the bathroom and walked in there to use it. After using the restroom he washed his hands and splashed his face with some cold water. Gently he patted it dry with a towel. 

When Mike flushed the toilet in the adjacent room it caused El to stir in her sleep and she started to wake up. Mike exited the bathroom and El finished yawning. 

“Damn. Good morning sexy.” She checked him out in his boxers and smirked slightly. 

“Good morning to you too.” He smiled back at her, blushing slightly under her gaze. 

“I guess the tables have turned because today I’m the one asking you to come back to bed.” She teased. 

“Well unlike someone, I won’t require much convincing.” Mike hopped back into bed and wrapped his arms around her tightly, leaning in to kiss her passionately. El returned the kiss eagerly and ran her hands through his hair. 

Kissing quickly turned into fooling around, which turned into foreplay, which turned into sex. Before they knew it they were both naked and panting under the covers, recovering from their euphoric high. 

El found herself basking in the afterglow of their morning activities, not wanting to leave. She hated that she was starting to like him but didn’t know how to stop it. 

“That was amazing.” Mike smiled at her and gave her a kiss on the top of her head.   
“I know....I promised Max I’d meet her for brunch today so I should probably go.” It wasn’t a lie, she did have plans to catch up with her bestie after not seeing her all week. 

“Okay sure.” Mike tried to play it cool but a part of him was still not used to this whole casual thing. He got out of bed and put on his boxers. 

El jumped out of bed and started to get dressed as well. Once she was dressed she grabbed her phone and her belongings and started walking towards the door of his apartment. Mike followed in tow. 

“I had fun.” Unsure of what else to say, she decided to keep it simple.   
“Me too.” He smiled at her softly.   
“I’ll call you.” El replied, knowing she probably would cave at some point and want to see him again.   
“I hope so...Bye El.” He leaned in and pecked her on the cheek.   
“Bye.” She started to leave but took one last glance back at him before leaving for good.   
_____

El spent the rest of her morning getting ready to meet Max. She went home, took a shower, and got dressed. She walked to the diner that they were meeting at, they were regulars there at least a few times a month. 

As El entered the diner she saw her red-head friend waiting for her in a booth and smiled. 

“Hey! Hope you weren’t waiting too long. I got a late start this morning.” She apologized, as she took a seat in the booth across from her friend. 

“Just a few minutes...no biggie.” Max shrugged. She studied El’s face for a second..something was different but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. 

“How was your week?” El asked curiously. 

“Not bad! Just the usual, working long hours most days. What about you?” She questioned. 

“That’s good to hear. I hope you’re getting enough rest, though. My week was similar. Some of my patients had some heavy issues this week. I was glad I had some time to unwind and get my mind off things last night.” She found herself smiling at the thought of her night with Mike. 

“I never get enough but I’ll survive...you..you met someone?!” Max saw the look on her friend’s face and knew immediately. 

“Something like that.” El blushed but averted eye contact with Max. 

“Is it someone I know?!” Max questioned again. 

“You could say that..” She bit her lip. 

“Oh my god. Is it the guy from the bar?!” Max smirked, knowing she hit the nail on the head this time. 

“I wanted to make it a one time thing but it was the best sex I ever had. I mean what was I supposed to say?” El acted like that was the only reason she wanted to see him again. 

“Hmm...I don’t know if I buy that. Did you spend the night with him again?” She wondered. 

“....Yes.” El admitted after a long pause. 

“You have to be careful. Dustin said that Mike was looking at you the same way he used to look at his ex or something.” Max warned. 

“I know...I think he really likes me.” El sighed, pretending to sound annoyed, not wanting Max to know she liked him back. 

“Maybe you shouldn’t see him again. Don’t want to give him the wrong idea.” Max suggested. 

“I tried to explain the casual thing but he doesn’t get it, really. You’re probably right. I’ll try to leave him alone.” She frowned slightly, a part of her felt he would be better off without her. 

———-

El lasted about three whole days before she caved. She found herself wanting to see him again. She tried to convince herself it was just for the sex but deep down she knew it was more than that. At around 7pm on Tuesday she called him. 

Mike saw her name on his phone pop up while he was watching tv and essentially jumped up in a flash to answer it. 

“Hey.” He tried to sound calm but his heart fluttered.   
“Hi Mike. I know it’s last minute. Are you free tonight?” El asked boldly.   
“I am. What were you thinking?” Mike wondered.   
“You should come over.” She said, hoping he’d get the hint.   
“Oh I should?” He teased.   
“Yes. You should.” El replied with a smile.   
“What’s your address again?” Mike asked.   
“89 Oak Street, apt 2.” She retorted.   
“Ok I’ll be over soon.” He smiled as he hung up. 

He quickly spritzed himself with some cologne, fixed his hair, and put on his shoes before heading out the door. After the fifteen minute walk he arrived at El’s apartment and knocked on the door to her unit.   
El walked to the door, somewhat eagerly, but kept her pace leisurely. 

“Hi.” She opened the door and smiled widely. El stepped aside so he could enter.   
“Hey.” He smiled back and entered the apartment, shutting the door behind him. 

El leaned in to kiss him deeply and wrapped her arms around his neck gently. Mike was shocked by the kiss but reciprocated and put his arms around her waist. The kiss was passionate but not over the top and still had hints of tenderness in it. Eventually El pulled her lips away but left her arms around his neck. 

“Hi.” She whispered again. “How was your day?”  
“It was okay. Better after you called.” He admitted with a slight blush. 

“I’m glad to hear that.” El smiled and reluctantly removed her arms from his neck. “Make yourself at home..are you hungry? Can I get you something to eat or drink?” She offered. 

“Sure. Do you have any beer?” He asked and took a seat on her couch.   
“No sorry, I do have wine, though!” El replied.   
“Wine is fine.” Mike said. 

El walked to the fridge and got out a bottle of red wine. After opening it with a wine opener she grabbed two wine glasses from one of the kitchen cabinets. She poured them each a glass of wine and returned to the open-space living room. El sat down on the couch next to Mike carefully and handed Mike his glass. 

“Thanks.” Mike replied graciously.   
“Cheers!” El chuckled and clinked their glasses together, before she took a sip of hers.   
“Cheers.” Mike said with a smile and took a sip of his drink as well. “How is your week going?” He asked after putting his glass of wine on the table.   
“My week is going well but it’s a little tiring. Glad that it’s almost over.” She admitted.   
“I get that.” He wrapped his arm around her gently.   
“How is your week going?” She looked up at him curiously.   
“Not too terrible. Getting to work with Dustin always makes work more bearable.” Mike explained.   
“That must be nice...it’s a really good thing we don’t work together. I’m sure you’re a great coworker but man are you distracting.” El smirked.   
“You’re pretty distracting yourself.” Mike leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her head. 

“I have a favor to ask...” El bit her lip nervously.   
“Sure. What is it?” Mike wondered. 

“I have a dinner this weekend with my family and I didn’t tell them I broke up with my boyfriend. If I tell them, they’re going to ask all these questions that I don’t really feel like answering and they’re going to be a pain in the ass about it. Will you pretend to be my boyfriend at the dinner?” El looked at him with hopeful eyes. 

Mike was a bit shocked by the request at first but after a moment he nodded. “Yeah it’s the least I could do. Plus, I guess I’m pretty good at it..” He quipped.

“You are.” She chuckled.   
“What day is that?” He asked.   
“Saturday night at 6. We can meet at my place and head over to the restaurant together.” El replied. 

“I feel like if I’m going to pretend to be your boyfriend I should know a little bit more about you.” He explained. Secretly he knew this was his chance to get to know her. 

“Okay well I originally grew up in the suburbs of Indiana. After my mom left when I was about 12, my father and I moved back to his hometown of Hawkins, where he took a job as the police chief. My step-mother and him met in high school and dated on and off but got back together when I was in high school. My step-mom has two sons of her own. She’s really a great lady and helped me through my teen years.” El tried to glaze over the fact that her mom left. 

“Hey I’m sorry about your mom.” He frowned deeply and squeezed her shoulder gently. 

“It’s okay...I’ve had a lot of time to deal. Thanks, though.” She said graciously. 

“Well now I know about your family but is there anything I should know about you?” Mike inquired. 

“I like to read. I also am into painting and sketching but I’m not very good.” She glanced down at her feet and gave a small shrug. 

“That’s awesome, what kind of books do you like to read? And I’m sure you’re better than you think.” He said kindly. 

“I like the classics mostly, I also enjoy poetry sometimes. Do you like to read?” She asked. 

“I do. I’m into sci-fi and mysteries, mostly. Stephen King is probably my favorite author.” He responded. 

“Oh nice. I’ve only read one or two of his books but he’s an excellent writer.” El retorted. “What should I know about you?”

“Well I am the middle sibling, I have an older sister and a younger sister. My older sister is a bit of an overachiever while my younger sister is more of the creative type. I guess I fall somewhere in-between. My parents are nice but not very interesting.” He admitted with a chuckle. 

“Makes sense that you grew up around mostly girls. You’re very sensitive.” She noted as she took a few more sips of her wine before putting it back down on the coaster. 

“I am not!” Mike argued. 

“Yes you are...it’s okay, I like that about you.” El muttered quietly. 

“Yeah?” He found himself smiling slightly at her admission. 

“Yeah.” She nodded and leaned in to kiss him tenderly. Mike returned the kiss eagerly and ran a hand through her curls. 

He was surprised by the sweetness of her kiss because usually he only sensed desire and passion in her kisses but he didn’t feel that was the reason behind this kiss. They kissed like that for a minute or so before El pulled away and leaned down to kiss his neck gently. 

“You look so good tonight. I want you.” She whispered in his ear and nibbled on his ear lobe softly. 

The moment of intimacy and sweetness during the kiss didn’t last long but still, he knew it had been there. 

“I want you too.” He groaned and rubbed her back. Mike let her continue for a minute but then pulled her chin up to his eye level, so they could kiss. 

The two made out on the couch for awhile before they took things to the bedroom where things quickly became heated. Mike reveled in El’s touches, kisses, and sounds. He was less concerned about getting himself off and more interested in taking care of her. 

El noticed her heart beat fast as they started to get hot and heavy. There was something in her stomach whenever he was around that she could no longer ignore and it wasn’t just lust. 

Feeling his eyes steady on hers when they had sex only elevated their connection and the emotions she felt for him. Though they hadn’t been together that many times yet, by now he knew exactly what she liked. A part of her enjoyed the fact that they were no longer strangers while another part of her said to run. 

The two both reached their peak within a few minutes of each other and found themselves out of breath. Mike grinned widely as he pulled out, laid next to her, and wrapped his arms around her waist. 

He planted a gentle kiss on the top of her shoulder. El smiled back and sighed contently. After she took a minute or two to recover, she berated herself mentally for letting herself feel things again. Still, she decided she would deal with that tomorrow. For now she wanted to be close to him. 

“That was amazing.” Mike complimented.   
“It’s something I could get used to, for sure.” She admitted absentmindedly.   
“El...I don’t want to overstep but is this really just sex for you?” Mike wondered.   
“Not tonight, okay? I just want to enjoy the moment.” She said sweetly and kissed his cheek. 

He frowned slightly but nodded. He restlessly played with El’s hair and shut his eyes. The two fell asleep with thoughts of what could be. 

——-

The next morning El’s alarm went off at 7:00 and she groaned. She tried to lean over to press the snooze button but someone had their arms wrapped around her. Somehow she managed to free herself and got out of bed and put on a robe. 

“Mike wake up. What time do you have to be at work?” She gently shook his shoulder. 

“What?” He groaned, still half asleep.   
“What time do you have to be at work?” She repeated.   
“Oh 9:00.” Mike answered and started to sit up in the bed.   
“Me too. It’s 7:00 right now.” She frowned.   
“I guess I should probably get going, then.” He sighed and got out of bed, he figured that El might like to have time to herself to start her day. Mike put on his clothes and walked to the door. El followed Mike to the door and gave him a short tender kiss on the lips. 

“See you Saturday at around 5:30, right?” She asked hopefully.   
“I’ll be there.” He replied with a smile. 

“....One more for the road.” Mike teased and leaned in to kiss her goodbye again. El kissed back eagerly and let the kiss linger for a little over a minute or two. Eventually she pulled away. 

“Bye.” El smiled at him adoringly.   
“Bye.” He replied with a wink before he left. 


	6. Meet the Parents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike is introduced to Jopper as “El’s Boyfriend” and antics ensue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all, I am so sorry it’s been so long. I haven’t been in a writing mood lately. I thought for sure with everything being closed I would be more apt to write but it almost feels like more pressure somehow? Ironic. 
> 
> I had thought about turning this into a longer fic or doing a rewrite to make things last longer but I did not want to mess with the natural story progression, either. This will be the last chapter, I hope you enjoy!

Saturday night came painfully slow for El who could not wait to see Mike again. She had not told Max about her last meeting with him and tried to ignore the feelings that were arising in her heart. 

Mike showed up at her door at around 5:30, and gave a gentle knock. He wore khakis, a light blue striped button down shirt, and nice dress shoes. His hair was styled nicely. 

El ran to the door as fast as she could in heels. She wore a nice purple blouse tucked into a black pencil skirt with closed toe black heels that weren’t too high. Her hair looked lovely and her makeup was more done than usual. She opened the door and greeted him with a warm grin. 

“Hi.” El said.   
“Hey. Wow..you look amazing.” Mike replied and stared for maybe a little bit too long.   
“Thanks. You do too.” She checked him out and kissed him on the cheek. 

“Let me just grab my purse and then we can go.” El grabbed her purse and exited her apartment with Mike. They walked down the stairs and left the building. The two started to head to the Italian restaurant where they were meeting El’s parents. 

“Are you ready to play the part?” She poked him in the side gently.   
“I was born ready...plus, it won’t require much acting on my part.” He teased. He knew he shouldn’t have said it, but couldn’t refrain from dropping another hint regardless. 

El snorted and gave a small smile but remained silent. After they walked a few more minutes the restaurant was in view. 

“Ready?” He asked as he grabbed her hand and interlaced their fingers.   
“Ready. And Mike? Thank you.” She squeezed his hand gently. 

The two entered the restaurant and gave the hostess the last name of Hopper. Shortly after, they were led over to the table where Joyce and Hop were sitting. Joyce and Hopper immediately stood up. Joyce hugged El first, always eager to see her stepdaughter, “Oh El sweetie it’s so good to see you!”

“Good to see you too, Joyce.” El smiled as she returned the hug.   
When Joyce pulled away, Hop followed his wife’s lead and gave his kid a big old bear hug.  
“Hey kid. You look good.” Jim said kindly before the two ended the hug. 

“Hi dad! You look great, too.” The young woman replied.  
“And who is this?!” Joyce gestured to Mike in an excited voice.  
“This is my amazing boyfriend.” El glanced at him adoringly and squeezed his hand before releasing it. 

“Hi I’m Mike.” He smiled politely and shook Joyce’s hand first. Then he reached out to shake Hopper’s hand.  
“Nice to meet you, Mike.” Hop shook Mike’s hand perhaps a bit too tightly, and furrowed his brow, staring the young man down (or up, rather) suspiciously. Mike’s eyes widened slightly but he tried not to show his discomfort. He snatched his hand back. 

Joyce and Hop sat back down and El and Mike took a seat across from them. The waitress came over and asked what they wanted to drink. She was pretty, maybe just a few years younger than El and Mike. Hop ordered a bottle of red wine for the table because of the special occasion.   
  
“Is there anything else I can get you guys?” She glanced around the table but her gaze lingered on Mike as she flashed him a smile. This did not go unnoticed by El. 

“No thank you.” Mike was oblivious and didn’t even spare the waitress a second glance, which made El feel special. Most of her old boyfriends would’ve at least subtly checked out the waitress. 

El smiled at this and placed her hand on top of his hand which was on the table. A part of her feared this was more than just putting on an act for her parents. Mike smiled back at El and enjoyed the rush he got when she touched him. He tried not to get his hopes up and figured she was just getting into character. 

The wine arrived and they all clinked glasses before they took the first sip. Mike found himself unnaturally nervous thanks to Hopper’s critical gaze. 

“So where did you two meet?” Joyce wondered.   
“Oh uhm..” Mike couldn’t think of anything.   
“We met through Max. Mike does IT and had to fix some computers at Max’s law firm one day. I was bringing her a coffee at lunchtime. When I went into the cubicle to find Max, I saw him trying to fix her computer instead. We chatted for a few minutes while I waited for her and the rest was history.” El responded, obviously prepared for this question. Mike just nodded and smiled. He was rather impressed with her elaborate story. 

“Oh how romantic!” Joyce exclaimed.   
“How long have you guys been together for now?” Hopper inquired.   
“Just around two months.” El replied.   
“It seems like longer though.” Mike took El’s hand and kissed it gently.   
“Aww. How sweet.” Joyce fangirled. 

The waitress returned to the table and took their orders before scurrying away to wait on another table. 

“Do you have a criminal record?” Hop cleared his throat and directed his question at Mike.   
“Dad!” El’s eyes widened.   
“No criminal record, sir.” Mike answered truthfully.   
“That’s good. You see El over here..well she hasn’t had the best taste in men, historically speaking. Lots of dirtbags.” Hop sighed.   
“Dad stop...” His daughter blushed.   
“If I find out that you turn out to be one as well, just know it’s easy for me to find out where you live.” Hop said threateningly with a strained smile. 

“Jim!” Joyce exclaimed.   
“Yes sir. I understand.” Mike was a bit taken aback, El hadn’t warned him about her dad’s bluntness.   
“Now that’s out of the way..we can enjoy our dinner.” Hop explained before he took another sip of his wine. Joyce shot Jim a warning glance and El shot Mike an apologetic smile. 

For the next fifteen minutes or so El directed the conversation. She asked how Joyce’s sons were and about Hopper’s job as chief of Hawkins PD. The tension at the table mostly dissipated and their dinner arrived. 

The four of them enjoyed their dinner and wine without much incidence. Joyce inquired a little more about Mike’s family and where he had grown up, typical stuff. Eventually the conversation switched to Hopper telling embarrassing stories about El’s childhood, which Mike enjoyed every second of. The waitress came and gave them the bill, which Hopper and Mike fought over. El suggested the two split it, much to Hop’s chagrin. After they paid and engaged in some more mindless chatter the dinner was almost over. 

“You picked a good one this time, I think.” Joyce said kindly, referring to Mike.   
“I know I did.” El smiled and winked at Mike. He blushed in response. 

“It’s getting late. I think we should probably call it a night. Will we see you tomorrow for brunch before we leave town?” Hopper wondered.   
“Yes absolutely! But Mike can’t make it tomorrow. He has a weekly brunch with his sister.” She lied.   
“Oh that’s too bad.” Joyce frowned slightly and stood up. “Well we hope to see you again soon, honey!”   
“I hope so too, Joyce.” Mike said politely. 

El and her faux boyfriend got up from their seats and escorted Hop and Joyce outside. El hailed her parents a cab and sent them to their hotel, after some long goodbyes. El and Mike waved as the two were driven away in the cab. 

“That went so well. They totally bought it.” El said with a smile.   
“You even had me convinced for a second there.” He offered her a half-hearted smile, and tried to hide the hurt in his voice. El sensed it immediately but still wasn’t ready to admit the truth. 

“Well it’s no secret that I’m attracted to you.” She tried to play it off.   
“Listen, I don’t know if I can do this anymore.” Mike frowned.   
“What do you mean?” She asked concerned.   
“This casual thing. I like you, El.” Mike grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. 

“Oh...” El looked down and bit her lip.   
“Am I really just a warm body to you?” He inquired.   
“I-I...I don’t know. It’s complicated and I’m confused.” She tried to explain.   
“You know what I think? I think you feel the same way about me. At first I thought I was imagining it. Too good to be true, I told myself. But why else would you keep calling me? I mean there are plenty of other good lays out there.” He reasoned. 

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Mike.” El pulled her hand away from his defiantly and bit her lip.  
“Whatever..I’m not going to wait around forever for you to admit it. So let me know when you’re ready to be real with me.” Mike sighed as he turned his back and started to walk away. El waited around a minute before she decided to go after him. 

“Wait..just wait, okay?” She said loudly from afar as she tried to catch up with him on the sidewalk. Mike stopped in his tracks and gave her a second to catch up. Finally she stood in front of him. 

“You want me to be real? Fine. I tried so hard to push you away but I am completely crazy about you. I felt a connection from the moment I first laid eyes on you. The sex is amazing, I will admit. But it’s more than that. It’s the way you laugh and the way you smile. It’s the way you hold me and kiss me goodbye. All of the other cheesy cliches apply, too, okay?” El teared up a little, and feared his reaction. 

Mike’s heart beat sped up and his expression softened, “It’s nice to know I wasn’t imagining the whole thing. For the record, when I went up to you at the bar I thought you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Never dreamed that after I had upset you that you would want to take me home a few weeks later but you did...You make me feel things I haven’t felt in awhile. I absolutely adore you, El.” Mike gently caressed her cheek. 

“....I’m sorry for not telling you earlier. I was scared of getting hurt again. My dad was right, most of my exes are trash. I guess I just don’t feel like I deserve someone like you.” She smiled at him sadly. 

“You think you don’t deserve me?! It’s definitely the other way around. I can’t promise that I will never hurt you but I can promise that I will do everything in my power not to.” Mike explained. 

“You’re too good.” She smiled at him softly and placed a quick peck on his lips.  
“Nah. You’re the good one.” Mike leaned in and kissed her tenderly. El sighed happily and returned his kiss. Eventually after a minute or so they both pulled away.

“Let me walk you home.” He suggested as he took her hand and they started to walk towards El’s place. 

“Is it bad that I want to take you home tonight? We don’t even have to do anything. I just want to be with you.” El admitted hesitantly, still adjusting to this whole being honest about her feelings thing.   
”Not bad, no. I’ll stay if you want me to.” Mike smiled and gave her hand a small squeeze. 

“I want you to.” El replied quickly. 

“Promise not to kick me out in the morning?” Mike teased.  
“Damn I was really awful, wasn’t I?” She blushed.  
“Yeah.. kind of.” He chuckled. 

“I’m sorry if I hurt you. I was just trying to protect myself but in the process I probably ended up hurting you...I’m sorry.” She explained with a frown.  
“Hey it’s okay. I’m still here, aren’t I?” Mike squeezed her hand again.  
“You are.” El nodded.

————-

They arrived at her place at around 11:30. Once they entered El tossed off her heels and put them by the door. Mike took off his shoes as well. 

“I’m going to go change.” She explained as she walked towards the bedroom. After she got to the bedroom, she took off her skirt and her blouse. She threw on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, not wanting Mike to think she was trying to make a move if she slept in her underwear. 

“You can come in now.” She said, loud enough for Mike to hear.   
He nodded and entered the bedroom, “I’m going to get comfortable too, if that’s okay?” 

“Oh yeah of course.” El hopped into bed.

Mike unbuttoned his shirt to reveal an undershirt underneath. Then he took off his pants, which left him only in his boxers. El’s eyes were still open and she couldn’t help but check him out, even though she knew she had said no funny business. 

El blushed and turned on her side, trying to avoid detection from Mike. Mike laid down on the bed next to her and wrapped his arms around her. 

“You know...the waitress at the restaurant was flirting with you.” El mentioned, quietly. “Really? I didn’t notice.” He replied honestly. 

“Most of my exes would’ve checked her out in a heartbeat.” She frowned, feeling sad that her prior relationships had been so terrible.

“Well I only have eyes for you.” He squeezed her gently and kissed the top of her head. “Can we go on a real date this week? I want to know more about you.” She admitted shyly and turned around to her other side so she could face him. 

“We can go on several real dates. I want to get to know you more, too. Any time spent with you is time well spent.” Mike smiled warmly and pulled her closer. 

“Ugh are you always this much of a giant cheese ball?” El groaned playfully but secretly reveled in his affection.  
“You love it.” He teased. 

“Maybe.” She smiled and kissed him tenderly. Mike returned the kiss for a minute or so before he pulled away. He yawned and the two started to fall asleep. The new lovers felt at peace now that they had admitted their true feelings and hopeful about the future they might face, together. 


End file.
